March 17, 2009
ANGOLA, Indiana - The Bluffton University softball team showed off its pitching in a sweep at Trine University, the two-time reigning MIAA champions, on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The Beavers limited the Thunder to just one hit in two games while improving to 12-4 on the season. Trine fell to 8-4 with the setbacks to the Beavers.
BLUFFTON 3, TRINE 0
Bluffton scored all it would need in the top of the first when the Beavers took a 2-0 lead on the strength of two hits and a Trine error. Freshman catcher MEAGAN PRICE (Toledo/Springfield) drew a one-out walk before JAYME MARBAUGH (Ohio City/Parkway) reached base thanks to an error. A LINDSEY MILLER (Wapakoneta) single loaded the bases for CHELSIE OSBORNE(Chillicothe/Waverly) who promptly drilled a two-RBI single.
A leadoff walk to KELLIE KENNEY (Toledo/Emmanuel Baptist) paid dividends in the second frame when leadoff hitter TORRIE WILSON (Delphos/Jefferson) singled her home with two outs for a 3-0 lead.
Junior stalwart BROOKE BABCOCK (Findlay) did the rest, holding the powerful Trine bats hitless for the game with nine strikeouts and four walks while improving to 6-2 on the year. Bluffton put together just four hits, but Osborne's single in the first led the Beavers to a 3-0 victory in the lidlifter.
BLUFFTON 2, TRINE 1
After two scoreless frames for both teams in game two, a leadoff walk by Kenney to JESSICA HUTCHISON led to the Thunder's only run of the afternoon. She stole second and third beforeSARA HIVLEY singled her home. in the bottom of the third.
The Beavers responded with two runs in the top of the fourth. Marbaugh and Miller rapped one out singles and once again, Osborne came up with the huge hit. Her base knock plated Marbaugh before a Babcock RBI groundout scored Miller for the 2-1 lead.
Kenney rolled through the Trine hitters much like Babcock in game one until the bottom of the seventh. A hit batter, two wild pitches and a walk brought KRISTIN AGAUAS (Bloomfield, Mich./Andover) on in relief with one out. Following another walk, Agauas induced a game-ending double play for her first collegiate save.
Osborne finished game two 2-of-3 with a crucial RBI. The Beavers tallied just four hits, but Kenney (4-1) surrendered a lone single in 6.1 innings of work. She struck out three batters and issued three free passes. Agauas worked to just one batter and recorded the save when Osborne snared a seventh inning popup and doubled Trine off third for the final out of the game.
Bluffton returns to action with a rematch against Adrian College on Saturday, March 21. The first contest vs. the Bulldogs is slated to start at 1 p.m.